Thomas behfield



(No Model.)

T. BENPIELD.

BICYCLE STEP.

N 379,557 Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

INVENTOR,

WITNESSES. 2% I I I By w ATTORNEY PATENT Erica.

THOMAS BENFIELD, OF NEWARK, NEXV JERSEY.

BICYCLE-STEP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,557, dated Itizuch20,1888

Application lileil December 16, 1887. Serial No. 258,089. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BENFIELD, a subject of Her Majesty the Queenof Great Britain, and aresident ofNewark, in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bicycle-Steps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in bicycle-steps, and moreparticularly to an improvement on the step patented to me on the 6th dayofDecember, 1887, No. 374,287, the object of this invention being to soconstruct the step that the internal working parts thereof will becompletely protected from the entrance of any dirt or foreign substancethereto. I have found thatthc perfect working ofthe step whenconstructed as shown and'described in the Letters Patent above mentionedis liable to be hindered by the entrance of dirt and other foreignsubstances thereto, scraped from the sole of the shoe when applied tothe step. This object-ion I overcome in my presentinvention by applyingto the upper part of the step a plate which completely protects theoperating parts thereof, and which plate is so arranged that it willmove with the step when assuming its different adjustments.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improvedstep, a portion of the protecting-plate being cut away to show themethod of attachment thereof to the step proper. Fig. 2 is a side viewthereof, showing in full lines the step in its horizontal position andin dotted lines the step in its vertical position. Fig. 3 is a sectionalview taken on the line a: :0 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aplan view ofthe step,showing the top plate removed.

A represents a collar encircling the backbone of the machine for thepurpose of holding or securing the step in its proper position thereon,and between the ends of which is in serted the metal plug a, held in itsproper position by the bolt 1), passing through the same and through theends of the collar for holding the latter in position on the backbone ofthe machine.

Between the ends of the collar A and on the pintle or bolt Z) is pivotedor hinged the step proper, B, the rear end of which step, when in itshorizontal posit-ion, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, rests flush against themetal plug a.

The step B is provided with an elongated opening, or is hollowed out forthe reception of the lever G, pivoted to the step, and preferably of theshape as shown in Fig. 3.

Around the bolt or pintlebis coiled a spring, D, one end of which bearsagainst the plug a, the opposite end passing under the lever O forwardof the pivot c, the tendency of which spring is to raise the forward endof the lever G and depress the rear end thereof, which latter, when inits horizontal adjustment, engages with a shoulder formed in the pintleb, and thereby secures the lever in said horizontal adjustrnent. Whenthe forward end of the lever O is depressed, raising the rear end of thelever out of engagement with said shoulderon the pintle, the spring Dwill immediately throw the step into its vertical position, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2. The rear end of the said lever rides on andaround-the pintle b. When the step islowered to a horizontal position,the rear end of the lever G rides on and around the bolt b until theextreme rear end thereof registers with the shoulder H thereon,whereupon the spring D, acting on the forward portion of thelever,-lowers the rear end thereof into engagement with said shoulderand secures the step in its horizontal position. To the plug a is hingedthe plate E, the rear end of which is somewhat widened, in order to fitover the ends of the collar A, the sides cl of said plate being bentdownwardly in order to overlap the sides of the step B, which said sidesof the step B are provided with an elongated groove, 6, into whichloosely fit the ends of the small screws f, which pass through theoverlapping sides (I of the plate E, for the purpose of preventing theplate from separating from the step. It will be seen that as the plate Eis hinged back of the rear end of the step it will, when the latter israised to its vertical position, slide forward on said step, the screw ftraveling forward in the grooves e, as shown in dot-ted lines in Fig.20f the drawings. This plate E is made to rest upon the forward portionof the lever 0, so that when the foot is placed upon the plate it willraise the rear end of the lever out of engagement with the pintle b, andwhen the foot is removed from the step the latter is thrown into itsvertical position.

The plate E is corrugated, for the purpose of preventing the foot fromslipping when placed thereon, and by extending back over the spring andpintle affords a complete protection thereto from the entrance of anydirt or foreign substance scraped from the foot when placed on the step.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A folding bicycle-step having a plate extending over the top of thesame, protecting the hinge of said step from the entrance of foreignsubstance, substantially as set forth.

2. A folding bicycle-step having a plate indirectly hinged to thebackbone of the bicycle and extending over the top ofsaid step, forpreventing the entrance of foreign substance to the hinge ofsaid step,substantially as set forth.

3. An automatically folding bicycle step hinged to a collar encirclingthe backbone of a bicycle, the hinge of said step being protected by ahinged plate fitting over the same and over the step, substantially asset forth.

4. A folding bicycle-step hinged indirectly to the backbone of abicycle, a plate fitting over and upon said step; and also hingedindirectly to said backbone, said plate being movably connected to saidstep, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a bicycle-step, the combination of the step B, plate E, lever 0,spring D, and pintle b, the above parts being adapted to operate in themanner and for the purpose described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 13th day of December, A. D. 1887.

THOMAS BENFIELD.

Wit nesscs:

GEORGE (3001:, FRED. O. RiEoKnRs.

